Before Daybreak
by Johannabarker234
Summary: When overprotected Serena falls for vampire Christian a dark romance ensues. Can their love survive all the dark secrets? RATING MAY CHANGE IN LATER CHAPTERS!


**Hey everyone it's me Bella. This is officially my fan fiction debut, and therefore my first story. The reason it took me so long was that I had a serious case of procrastination. So sit back and enjoy the fruits of my labor. :)**

My father woke me in the morning by shaking my shoulders gently. My bed was large, a curtain was around it, a dark shielding curtain. I was wearing my favorite nightgown, white with long black lace sleeves, and a black, lace collar, my mother used to wear it. Her cameo necklace was around my neck.

In the state of New York, a town called Syracuse exists under a never departing sheet of gray. It's almost as if the sun misses this town. It was in this town that my parents met and married. It was in this town, in this house that my mother died while having me. It was in this house that I had been forced to remain for everyday since the day I was born.

For awhile I took this life without a complaint which has recently become a great effort to do. I hated this isolation.

Outside life seemed perfect. There was space and other people out there. It was a mysterious,tiny little town to me.

''Serena, it's time to get up precious.'' My dad said to me, just like every morning. ''I have to leave soon.''

I look alot like my mother curly, brown hair and dark eyes. I'm a lot paler then she was though, probably from lack of sunlight. How could my father leave me , his ''world'' to go off to work? Of course I was old enough to be left alone, I stayed inside, I could care for myself, and I called him every hour, but still...

''I'll stay inside dad'' I said, I've been sheltered my entire life, but I've been kept inside for so long that I was almost convinced it was for some good reason I was kept under lock and key.

''Call me in an hour''

''I will''

''I'll meet you downstairs'' He insisted. ''Remember I will come home whenever you need me just call me and I'll rush home.''

But I saw the effort in his eyes everytime he left.

I put my hand on his cheek.''You worry to much'' I encouraged. ''I'll be okay. I love you dad.''

He kissed my forehead, then walked out of my room.

It's a fifteen minute drive from the main part of town to my house, then you need to be let through the gate to get to my front porch. My window overlooks a very busy street. I memorized the faces of the people as they walked by it everyday.

Dad has always been obsessed about the whole ''keeping me safe'' thing. He seemed genuinely convinced that he would lose me if I left the house. He'd already went so far as to lock me in the house when he went to work.

But it was always awkward to talk with him. Neither of us were really conversive, and it was hard to talk to him anyway without him bringing up my mother or comparing me to her in someway. I also knew he was well aware of my new found distaste for my isolated life.

When I opened my curtains, it was cloudy. I wasn't surprised at all about this, gray was unavoidable in this town. I practically grew up with gray.

Dad was waiting for me downstairs. This I was also expecting. My father is a doctor to the good people of Syracuse. A job that took him away from home, which pained him as it took him away from me also. Nothings worse then a nervous doctor.

Dad gave me a tight hug when I came down the stairs. ''Be good while I'm gone, Serena'' He said smiling, then he studied my face carefully, then what I was wearing, noticing I had one of mother's old outfits on. ''I swear you look more like her everyday.''

''I know, dad'' It was best to make the most of my few minutes with him.

I couldn't help it that I wore her clothes. They fit me and they were current with today's style at least.

''No need to be bitter about it Serena your mother was beautiful, just like you'' He said then touched my cheek softly.

I snorted. ''That's not really what I'm bitter about, dad.''

He sighed. ''Serena Rosalia we've had this conversation before, it's for the best.''

''I don't think so, dad.''

''I'd be lost if I would lose you, Serena.''

''You won't lose me though.''

''The world is a cruel place, pet.'' Father insisted.

That was one of the oldest excuses he uses for why I can't go out, that can't be true though, the world didn't seem to be cruel to me.

''I only do this because I love you sweet.'' He said

''Alright, dad, I love you too,'' I said softly.

He kissed my forehead one more time then walked out the front door. I stood there listening as he started the car and drove away. I walked up to the door and locked it.

We still lived in the large two-story house that he'd bought with my mother during the three years of their marriage. But those years were nothing but memories now.

I have the bedroom that was on the left of the hallway lined with my mothers many photos. I knew my room I'd been kept in it as long as I can remember. The dark, wooden floor with the large, red ornate carpet, the yellow felt curtains, everyone of these things were a part of my childhood. The only changes that were ever made were switching the books as I grew and I had put up opera and play posters on my walls, and a stand in a corner held my television. I asked for this personally. This was my only contact with the outside world. Also with all the people on it, it was almost like having friends. An old parlor chair that my mother had bought was in the corner.

Syracuse has what I believe to be a total of a few hundred people maybe more, maybe less. All the people here probably knew each other, and their kids probably grew up together. I'd always wanted to meet people my own age, to be able to have real friends like everyone else.

I wasn't really anything to look at. I was skinny, but I've always been that way. I didn't have much of a figure or noticeable curves, I had a subtle, slight figure. I wore little makeup, if any, but only when father would rarely take me out.

Being alone all day can be depressing. I just sat in the parlor, watching the television, staring up at the pictures on the mantle, a photo of my parent's wedding, a photo of the two of them when my mother was pregnant with me, followed by a few pictures of my mother with people I didn't know, father wouldn't tell me who they were.

The first thing anyone would notice when they walked into this house would be is that my dad never got over my mother's death. That made me uncomfortable.

I would sometimes walk a few blocks to the graveyard to visit my mother's grave. I felt a certain amount of peace with my mother. I was bored enough here to want to leave so I went up to my room and found my bag hung on a chair, I picked _Pride and Prejudice_ from my bookshelf, my leather-bound journal, and packed them in my bag, then ran down the stairs. I grabbed my coat off the coatrack, unlocked the door and stepped onto my porch. I closed the door behind me and walked to the gate and stepped through it.

It was cold outside, being that autumn was about to end, so I hugged my long coat closer to myself, my shoes clopping on the sidewalk was slightly unnerving. I only had to walk to the corner and I was there. I recognized the gravestone right away and I walked to it and sat down in front of it

I smiled at the grave infront of me. ''Hi mom.'' No answer of course. So I just opened my book and started to read silently.

About an hour or so later I gathered my things, got up and went to leave, that was the first time I saw them.

They were sitting against the fence, a couple of them leaning on tombstones. They were talking amongst themselves quietly. They didn't look over at me, or even acknowledge that I was watching them, so it was safe to look.

They were all different from each other. Of the two boys one was tall, and lanky with shoulder length brown hair. The other was lean, but still had a bit of muscle tone with black hair with overgrown bangs that covered his right eye. He was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen in my life.

The girls looked like they could have been sisters. The prettiest one was tall with green eyes. Her hair was sandy blonde and curled slightly. The shorter girl was doll-like, younger, with girlish features. Her hair was also blond, and went down to her waist in waves.

They were all looking at each other, but suddenly stopped and watched as doll-girl got up and walked to the gate and left. All I could do was stare at how lithe her walk was. I looked back at the others who resumed talking as if she never left.

Suddenly the beautiful boy looked over at me, his sapphire blue eyes meeting mine. His gaze held mine for a minute before I turned away, my cheeks flaring. A minute later, the others left, leaving the dark haired one one alone. I watched him just sitting there, his eyes locked in deep thought. He turned over to look at me, his sapphire eyes boring into mine, as if he were searching for something.

He got up from where he was sitting and walked over to me. My heart just about stopped beating.

He stopped at where I was standing, ''Hello'', he said. His voice held the faintest of Italian accents.

I smiled slightly, ''Hello''.

''You here visiting someone?''

''Yes'', I motioned toward the grave,''my mother''.

He seemed unsurprised by my answer, ''Your the doctor's daughter.'' he stated simply.

I nodded, ''Yes''.

He smiled, ''My names Christian Moore, and you are?''

I smiled back, ''Serena Poe''.

''Pretty name,'' he said. I looked down quickly to hide my blush.

''Would you mind if I sat with you?,'' he asked.

I looked back up at him, I shook my head. ''No, not at all.''

We sat at the foot of my mother's grave together for awhile, and all the while I couldn't stop staring at his beautiful face. His voice brought me out of my trance.

''You read classic literature?,'' he was referring to my long forgotten book.

I gnawed on my lower lip, ''Yes, it's my favorite thing to read, it gives me an idea of what life was in earlier centuries, it sounds foolish I know.''

Christian shook his head, his bangs falling over his eye, ''No it's not, I think it's a very good reason. Also is there any particular reason your staring at me?,''

My cheeks burned, ''I'm sorry it's just, your eyes are very beautiful.''

He chuckled, ''Thank you. He looked back over at my face, ''it's a shame it's such a gray day is it not?''

I nodded, ''Yes, but it seems like it is everyday to me.''

He seemed confused by my answer, why I didn't know. ''Why is that?''

''I don't think you'd be interested in knowing.''

''I have a wide variety of interests,'' He insisted.

I inhaled and looked down at my lap, ''Well my mother died having me,'' I said

His brow furrowed and he looked away from me. ''That must have been hard for your family,.''

''It was, my father hasn't been the same since.'' My voice sounded small, strange, even to me.

''And you don't like the new him?'' Christian guessed, his tone curious.

''No, that's not it at all, I'll always love him he's my father.''

''That's not the only thing that's wrong is it?''

I didn't understand why he was so interested in my life, but he still stared at me with curious eyes, as if my past was important to him.

''Well, I'm really not really supposed to leave my house.'' I sighed.

''So you have an over-protective father?'' he asked.

''That's an understatement. He doesn't even want me to come here, I sneak out when he leaves for work.''

''And your father won't let you out leave because he wants to keep you all to himself,'' it was a statement, not a guess.

My brow furrowed. ''No, he doesn't want me all to himself. He just doesn't want anything to happen to me.''

His brow furrowed. ''I'm afraid I don't understand,'' he admitted, and he seemed frustrated by my lack of explanation.

I sighed. Why was I telling my life story to this boy I just met? Yet he continued to stare at me with curiosity in his eyes.

''He says that the world is cruel, that it's not safe for me out here. It would kill him if anything happened to me, and I don't want him to worry about me.'' My voice was sad while I told him this.

''But...your unhappy.'' He mused.

''So?'' I said bluntly.

''That's...not really fair.'' He mused, his expression suddenly intense.

I inhaled. ''Well I did read somewhere that life isn't fair.''

He smirked. ''I believe I have as well.''

''That's pretty much it life hasn't really changed at all in the past seventeen years,'' I finished, noticing he was still staring at me.

''It must be hard masking your pain for so long,'' he said slowly. ''But I can see you're suffering and you just hide it very well.''

I raised my eyebrows, rolled my eyes, then looked away.

''I'm getting the feeling I'm not wrong.''

I still looked away.

''I knew it,'' he murmured smugly.

''Why do you even care about my life?'' I asked, clearly irritated. I looked into his eyes again, almost regretting my irritation.

''I have my reasons,'' he murmured.

I rolled my eyes, and scowled down at my lap.

''Am I bothering you?'' he asked. He sounded almost amused.

I looked over at him. ''No, not really. I'm actually bothered with myself. It's foolish to try and hide my feelings when I'm so easy to figure out.'' I sighed.

''Actually I'm having trouble figuring you out.'' Despite everything I told him and all the things he seemed to know, he sounded sincere.

''That's odd because you seem like you can figure many things out,'' I replied.

''That's normally true.'' He smiled widely, showing what appeared to be a dimple on his cheek.

I flushed and looked down again. I couldn't believe that I just told my life story to this mysterious, beautiful boy, who seemed to have some sort of fascination with me. He seemed truly interested in what I had to say, and I saw from the corner of my eye the way his eyes remained locked onto my face, the look on his face one of concentration.

I didn't really want to leave, I wanted to keep talking to Christian, but I knew if my father came back and didn't find me at home he would have a heart-attack. I grabbed my stuff and got up to leave, but I turned to him before I left.

''Will I see you again?'' I asked, really hoping he would say yes.

He smiled and nodded, ''Yes, I promise you that you will.''

I grinned and walked through the gate and back to my house. As soon as I got home I broke out into one of the biggest smiles I've ever had in my life, I can't believe I said this but, I couldn't wait for tomorrow.

**Okay so that's the first chapter out of the way. So anyway I have a whole ''cast'' set up for this chapter, please consult my profile for pictures and information. Until next chapter my pretties:)**


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